File drawers lock

ABSTRACT

A lock for tiers of file drawers comprising a rod having a portion limiting translation of the rod with respect to a handle on a drawer and a locking member attached to the rod limiting translation of the rod.

United States Patent 1191 T ncich Dec. 24, 1974 [54] FILE DRAWERS LOCK 1,455,198 5/1923 Gibson .L 190 13 [761 Inventor: Paul-1111911114645 Woodworth, 3323333 i132? illlin ffffiilijjjijjjiiiiiijjii: 3315i; Dearbom, Mlch- 43126 2,987,358 6/1961 Roberts 312/216 [22] Filed: Feb. 20, 1973 Y '21 A N Primary ExaminerAlbert Craig, J1. l 1 PP O Attorney, Agent, or FirmDavid A. MaXOn [52] US. Cl 312/216, 70/85, 292/259 [51] Int. Cl E05b 65/46 [57] 7 ABSTRACT Fleld of Search 70/85; 292/259; 5 A lock for tiers of file drawers comprising a rod hav-- ing a portion limiting translation of the rod with respect to a handle on a drawer and a locking member [56] gZq attached to the rod limiting translation of the rod. 1,029,666 6/l9l2 Campbell 292/259 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures FILE DRAWERS LOCK This invention relates generally to a locking device for file cabinets. More particularly, this invention remounted locking devices by breaking or forcing such locking devices out of the cabinet with a hammer or other heavy metal sledge-like device.-

Still another difficulty with such interiorly mounted locking devices has been the necessity to rely upon a key for opening and locking such a device rather than a numerical combination actuated device.

Still another difficulty with such interiorly mounted locking devices has been the problem of inadvertent knocking, breaking, or de-actuating such devices for either opening or closing because 'of.their protrusion and subsequent accidentalknocking during moving of the file tiers that they are a part Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide means of locking in integral tier of filing cabinets that is inexpensive and uncomplicated to make and use, that can be moved without excessive protrusion invit- .ing breaking or de-actuation, and that is capable ,of

being actuated by either a combination or key device.

This and other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following specifications and claims.

These objects are achieved by the provision of a metal rod-like structure having a key-shaped end that engages the top surface of an eyelet attached to the tier shell above the handle of the top drawer in an integral tier of file drawers, and an aperture near the upper end of said rod operable to engage a shank of a locking device that is either combination or key actuated. The shankof the locking device is proximate to the bottom surface of the eyelet above the top drawer in the tierof file drawers.

ON THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional prospective view of a preferred embodiment of this invention;v

I ment of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

' Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings relates to a file cabinet or integral tier of file drawers 10. The cabinet comprises a cabinet shell 12 and an array of drawers 14, 16, 18 arranged physically one above the other within the shell. Part of the shell 12 has horizontal frame structures 78, 80, 82, 84 arranged above, below and between the drawers l4, 16, 18.

Each of the drawers l4, 16, 18 has a horizontally extending handle 20, 22, 24 respectively. Each of the handles 20, 22, 24 is U-shaped defining an inner perimeter of apertures 48, 50, 52 respectively with the face of a drawer 14, 16, 18 respectively.

The entire cabinet structure, particularly the shell 12 and the drawers 14, 16, 18, are made of metal, preferably steel. The handles 20, 22, 24 are made of metal, preferably of a softer type such as brass, but they could also be made of steel. The preference for metals, par- .ticularly for steel, in the cabinet and drawers structure is to provide means of secure depository of records and documents and to inhibit, in combination with the rest of the structure hereinafter described, unauthorized entry and access to the records and documents stored within the cabinet.

Eyelets, 26, 28, 30, 32, preferably made of steel, are arranged serially in a vertical order above, below and between the drawers 20, 22, 24. Each of the eyelets 28, 30, 32 are constructed in a similar fashion to eyelet 26 and are fixed to the cabinet shell 12 in a manner similar to the manner of eyelet 26. Each of the eyelets 26, 28, 30, 32 have an outwardly extending in a horizontal plane donut-shaped or taurus members 34, 36, 38, 40 respectively with radially interior surfaces 40, 42, 44, 46 respectively defining an interior aperture or hole within the donut. Each of these apertures are co-axial along axis 54 which passes through the apertures 48, 50, 52 of the handles 20, 22 and 24 respectively.

The means in which the eyelets 26, 28, 30, 32 are attached to the tier 12 can be appreciated from the detail of such construction shown for eyelet 26. Each of the eyelets 26, 28, 30, 32 have a shank portion similar to the shank portion 76 of eyelet 26. Shank 76, as the other shanks, (not shown) has a threaded portion which fits into a corresponding threaded aperture 74 in horizontal element 78 of the cabinet shell 12.

A T-shaped rod member 56 has a central physically extending longitudinal portion 58 and a short horizontally extending cross member 60 rigidly attached at the top 62 of the rod 58 to that rod by welding or other appropriate rigidly attaching means of securing metal pieces together. Both the rod and the cross member are preferably made of steel rod stock of a hardened type. An aperture 66 is provided slightly below the top 62 of the rod member 58. The rod member is preferably of solid steel of a'hardened variety of a thickness of inch. The aperture 66 preferably is of a dimension of inch diameter. The aperture 66 thus is sufficiently large enough in diameter to accommodate a shank member 68 of a lock or shackle 70.

It can be appreciated that inthe preferred embodiment of this invention the central axis 72 of the longitudinal rod portion 68 of the rod member 56 is substantially co-linear with the axis 54 passing through the eyelets and handles. The rod 56 is passed through these eyelets and handles from the top to the bottom in such a manner that the bottom surface of the cross member 60 is contiguous to the top surface of the donut portion .24 of the eyelet portion 36. The aperture 66 is slightly below the bottom surface of the donut-shaped portion rod member is used in conjunction with the eyelets and shackle as shown in FIG. 1 but instead pass through the handles on the drawers. In this alternative embodiment of 'the invention the forward horizontal translation of the drawers is limited to the distance between the side i of the rod member 58 and the face of the drawers. The horizontal forward translation of the rod member 58 is limited by the ring or donut-shaped parts of the eyelets.

tions that an inexpensive and umcomplicated means of locking presently produced or past produced steel cabinets has been provided by this invention.

ble to move in a horizontal direction with respect to the cabinet, the improvements comprising:

From the foregoing of the preferred embodiments of 5 this invention it can be appreciated that the drawers 14, l6, 18 cannot be substantially moved forward and horizontally of the plane defined by the top and bottom edges 86 and 88 respectively of the shell 12 when the rod and shackle are in place as shown in FIG. 1. In this manner a relatively inexpensive and easy method of locking the drawers is provided. The device may be unlocked readily by simply unlocking or de-actuating the shackle 70 and removing the shank 68 from the aperture 66 and simply withdrawingthe rod member by sliding the rod outwardly and upwardly from the eyelet apertures and apertures formed by the handles of the drawers.

In an alternative embodiment of this invention, the

It can be appreciated from the foregoing specifica- I claim: I. In a cabinet containing tiers of file drawers operaa rod having a thickness and depending in a vertical direction across the face of the cabinet and the face of the drawers therein;

a member surrounding said vertical rod near the top thereof and being fixed to the cabinet and limiting the horizontal translation of said rod with respect to said cabinet;

a cross bar member having a thickness of an order of magnitude corresponding to the thickness of said vertical rod and being rigidly attached to the top of said rod and resting on top of said limiting member;

an aperture having a maximum horizontal width less than the thickness of said vertical rod and passing through said rod below said limiting member and being operable to receive a shackle of a lock;

a lock having a shackle passing through said aperture and said shackle having a thickness less than said maximum horizontal width of said aperture, and said shackle, when passed through said aperture, being operable to abut against the bottom surface of said limiting member thereby limiting the vertical translation of said rod with respect to said cabinet;

another member limiting horizontal translation of said rod with respect to said cabinet and being fixed to said cabinet and being spaced at a distance from said first mentioned limiting member;

said another limiting member having a portion surrounding said vertical rod member having a thickness of the same orderof magnitude as the thickness of said shackle and a part of said portion being juxtaposed between said vertical rod member and the face of said cabinet;

whereby said rod, lock and limiting members cooperate to limit the translation of the drawers with respect to said cabinet.

2. The apparatus in claim lwherein said rod is operable to vertically translate in upward direction with respect to said cabinet responsive to said shackle being removed from said aperture.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drawers have handles protruding outwardly from the face of said drawers and said rod passes through an aperture formed by said handles and the base of drawers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first mentioned limiting member has the shape of an eye and a shaft that is threaded and embedded in said cabinet.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rod is made of metal. i 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cabinet drawers and rod are made of steel; and said another limiting member is fixed to said cabinet at a position on said cabinet above the bottom drawer of said cabinet. 

1. In a cabinet containing tiers of file drawers operable to move in a horizontal direction with respect to the cabinet, the improvements comprising: a rod having a thickness and depending in a vertical direction across the face of the cabinet and the face of the drawers therein; a member surrounding said vertical rod near the top thereof and being fixed to the cabinet and limiting the horizontal translation of said rod with respect to said cabinet; a cross bar member having a thickness of an order of magnitude corresponding to the thickness of said vertical rod and being rigidly attached to the top of said rod and resting on top of said limiting member; an aperture having a maximum horizontal width less than the thickness of said vertical rod and passing through said rod below said limiting member and being operable to receive a shackle of a lock; a lock having a shackle passing through said aperture and said shackle having a thickness less than said maximum horizontal width of said aperture, and said shackle, when passed through said aperture, being operable to abut against the bottom surface of said limiting member thereby limiting the vertical translation of said rod with respect to said cabinet; another member limiting horizontal translation of said rod with respect to said cabinet and being fixed to said cabinet and being spaced at a distance from said first mentioned limiting member; said another limiting member having a portion surrounding said vertical rod member having a thickness of the same order of magnitude as the thickness of said shackle and a part of said portion being juxtaposed between said vertical rod member and the face of said cabinet; whereby said rod, lock and limiting members cooperate to limit the translation of the drawers with respect to said cabinet.
 2. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein said rod is operable to vertically translate in upward direction with respect to said cabinet responsive to said shackle being removed from said aperture.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drawers have handles protruding outwardly from the face of said drawers and said rod passes through an aperture formed by said handles and the base of drawers.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first mentioned limiting member has the shape of an eye and a shaft that is threaded and embedded in said cabinet.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rod is made of metal.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cabinet drawers and rod are made of steel; and said another limiting member is fixed to said cabinet at a position on said cabinet above the bottom drawer of said cabinet. 